Sit on Jake Worrall's bench

A thought-provoking memorial to an infant who lived a tragically short life and died on 23rd May 2008, before even his first birthday, Jake Winston Worrall's bench sits beside St Thomas' Hospital with an amazing view over the Thames.


On a hot late September afternoon, it is a fantastic spot to watch the world go by, as walkers and cyclist ply the traffic free route along the Thames, and some take a few moments to enjoy the last of the summer. There are plenty of other benches along the path, but none are more poignant.

For an approximate location, click here.

Explore Hampstead Pergola & Hill Gardens

Found in the slightly less visited West Heath area of Hampstead Heath, the Hampstead Pergola & Hill Gardens is a fantastic spot for an autumnal wander, with views across North London.


Created by of William, Lord Leverhulme, and inspired by his interest in architecture and landscape gardening, and the ideas of landscape architect Thomas Mawson, it was the crowning glory of his house The Hill, and took from the acquisition of the land in 1904 until 1925, shortly before Lord Leverhulme's death, to complete.

When Lord Leverhulme died, The Hill house passed to Baron Inverforth, hence its modern name, Inverforth House, who himself passed away in 1955. In 1960, The Hill Garden and its Edwardian terraces, gazebos and rose pergola were bought by London County Council, and they opened to the public in 1963.

The Garden makes a lovely spot for a wander, and the views out towards Harrow On The Hill can be spectacular on clear days. For more information, download a pdf guide at http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/B5F7A42F-FA5A-4087-A3A4-C3FFE907EB2D/0/OS_HH_pergola.pdf

Drink on the terrace at the Cut Bar

Rather than puzzling over why summer only comes nowadays in April and September, now is the time to snatch a few precious moments after work and enjoy them outside. The terrace of the Cut Bar, at the Young Vic, is one possibility, allowing drinkers to withdraw indoors when 6.30pm rolls round and there is a need to withdraw indoors.


Open to all-comers but patronised especially by those waiting to see shows at the Young Vic - in the same building - the Cut Bar suffers slightly from being in an area with some excellent bars and pubs, but it is worth popping in, especially if lagers, cocktails and finger food are your thing.

For more, see http://www.thecutbar.com/

Walk in Bedfont Lakes Country Park

The forecasters are telling us that we will have a last bit of summer this week, and Greater London has many places to take advantage of that. Bedfont Lakes Country Park is found just a short distance from Heathrow Airport, and comprises of 180 acres of rolling meadows, woodlands and lakes. It is home, we are told, to over 300 plants and 140 bird species.


Opened in 1995, the park was created on the site of a former landfill, when the London Borough of Hounslow made its creation a condition of a 1988 planning permission for development of surrounding industrial sites. The result is a community nature park which is now a designated Local Nature Reserve and Site of Importance for Nature Conservation, which can probably be considered a success.

For more information, see http://www.hounslow.info/parks/bedfont/index.htm


_{^Picture © Maxwell Hamilton used under Creative Commons^}

Buy books at West End Lane Books

Established in West Hampstead in 1994, West End Lane Books today boasts 13,000 titles in stock, with a variety of adult and child fiction and non fiction.


Alongside everything you would expect from your local bookshop, West End Lane Books also hosts regular events and book groups for adults, and family clubs which include picture book stories and rhymes every Thursday.

For more, see http://westendlanebooks.co.uk/

Visit St Margaret's Halstead

In the dying breaths before the M25, the Kentish village of Halstead is home to the church of St Margaret, a pretty Victorian village church which replaces previous places of worship in the village dating back to at least the 13th Century, and almost certainly earlier.


The Victorian church we see today was built in the 19th century, when Halstead village began to expand with the the growth of the London fruit market, and the 13th century old church was pulled down in the 1880s, when the church we see today was built.

It makes a decent stop off on a walk from Knockholt Station, which is how your author visited. For more information, see http://www.halstead-church.org/a-history-st-margarets-geoffrey-kitchener

Attend the Soho Literary Festival

Your author tries not to directly reproduce press releases here, as he prepared ideas for the holiday he is on at this very moment to celebrate his birthday* this one popped into the inbox and it seemed decent. So, this weekend you could consider attending the Soho Literary Festival at the Soho Theatre in Dean Street.



Flogging books today are the likes of Melvyn Bragg, Judith Kerr, Gyles Brandreth and Maureen Lipman, and if you are interested in popping in, the PR bods tell me that Tired of London, Tired of Life readers can get two for one tickets by saying the secret code word "publisher" when they call the box office. This gets two tickets for £8, which seems like reasonable value.

For more, see http://www.soholitfest.com/

_{*Opportunist thieves should note that your author's flatmate remains in the flat and has just completed a course in bashing thieves over the head, hard.}

Meet the deer at Golders Hill Deer Pen

The deer in Golders Hill Park, part of Hampstead Heath, don't seem that worried about people getting close to them. Maybe it's because they have had their spirits broken by years of being trapped in a fairly small pen, or maybe they like it. Your author couldn't possibly speculate.


It isn't as depressing as some of London's deer pens, and fallow deer which live here seem in reasonable spirits, though not as happy as wild deer sometimes look. Nevertheless, it is probably good for London children to see a deer, and let's not underestimate the value of having nature around.

For more on Golders Hill Park, where the deer pen is situated, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golders_Hill_Park

Eat pizza at Small and Beautiful

It is difficult to understand how you can make money from selling a decent-sized pizza and a beer or glass of wine for just £5 of an evening, but your author is pleased that the people at Small and Beautiful in Kilburn are trying.


When your author dropped in last Thursday, the restaurant was doing a roaring trade, with people bustling in and out of the actually fairly spacious dining area constantly, and good food and drink being served at a steady pace.

Sure, it wasn't the absolute finest pizza it is possible to imagine but it was prepared freshly, was very tasty and showed excellent value for money, for which the diners seemed grateful.

So if you're in the area, do drop in. For a proper review, see http://www.timeout.com/london/restaurants/venue/2%3A1292/small-beautiful

Visit Ernö Goldfinger's 2 Willow Road

The family home of architect Ernö Goldfinger, 2 Willow Road in Hampstead was built in the 1930s. Whilst at the time it was the subject of controversy, and conservation groups and the local MP tried to stop its construction, today it is heralded as an interesting example of its style and is opened to the public by the National Trust.


The house remained home to the Goldfinger family after Ernö's death in 1987, until his wife Ursula died in 1994, and everything is still in situ, from the children's toys in the upstairs nursery to art on the walls, and even the Christmas pudding in the kitchen cupboard, as was stipulated as part of the opening, so it offers a fascinating insight into Goldfinger family life.

For more information, visit the National Trust website.

Take a tour of the Mansion House

Home to the Lord Mayor of London, the Mansion House is a grand Georgian town house at the centre of the City of London, brimming over with grand interiors and elegant furniture, and today you can get inside on a regular tour.


Tours of the House are taken by City of London Guides at a cost of £6 per person, every Tuesday at 2pm, and last about an hour. As so often, your author can't take the credit for discovering this fantastic opportunity and read about it on IanVisits but thought it well worth sharing over here.

For more information, click here.

_{^Picture © RachelH_ used under Creative Commons^}

See the Titanic Memorial Garden

Found in the grounds of the National Maritime Museum, the Titanic Garden is not particularly impressive, but is an interesting feature nonetheless.


Opened in 1995 by Titanic survivor Edith Haisman the garden is a tribute to the 1,523 who perished when the ship struck an iceberg during its maiden voyage in 1912.

For more, see http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/survivor-to-open-titanic-memorial-1615644.html

Tour Greenwich Yacht Club with Open House London

Today is the second day of this year's London Open House, and again hundreds of properties around town which wouldn't usually be are open to the public. The one that caught your author's eye today is Greenwich Yacht Club.


Designed by Frankl & Luty Ltd and completed in 2000, the clubhouse is built over the Thames about half way between the Millennium Dome and the Thames Barrier. It is open for regular architect-led tours today from 1pm until 4pm, with an annual art show, club members available for a chat and spectacular views over the Thames. Visitors can also, we are told, access the sail loft and boat yard.

For more information, see http://www.londonopenhouse.org/public/london/find/detail.asp?loh_id=8298

Visit Lloyd's of London with London Open House

Today marks the start of London Open House weekend, so your author thought it fitting to give space to one of the most popular buildings on the circuit, Lloyd's of London at One Lime Street.


Designed by Richard Rogers and completed in 1986, the building is one of the most celebrated of its kind in London and famously though the building is modern it contains older gems such as the 18th century Adam Room, which date from much earlier.

If you're serious about getting inside, however, you will have to get in the queue pretty early. Though 6,464 people got to visit during the 2010 Open House event, it is known for long queues, and those who want to get round a few places could probably use their time better heading for shorter queues.

One other nearby gem with shorter anticipated queues is 19 Princelet Street, which is open again this weekend, and where your author will be volunteering. However, for more on Lloyd's, visit http://www.londonopenhouse.org/public/london/find/detail.asp?loh_id=3729

_{^Picture © phogel used under Creative Commons^}

Visit the Hampstead Museum at Burgh House

Hampstead Museum was, we are told, founded in 1979 by Christopher and Diana Wade, and now contains around 3,000 objects covering the art and life of Hampstead.


Your author had a meeting yesterday at Burgh House in Hampstead, so took the time to wander around the Hampstead Museum galleries upstairs in the house. It is a decent little local museum, offering some interesting background on the Heath and the history of the area, and are worth a visit if you're in the area.

For more information, see http://www.burghhouse.org.uk/museum/